New team leads Freedom Hill

A new all-star team of private operators now in charge of the Freedom Hill amphitheater in Sterling Heights on Tuesday announced they plan to have a summer schedule of about three dozen concerts including country music superstars Lady Antebellum along with the return of Harleyfest and the debut of the Stars & Stripes Festival.

The team — Luna Hillside LLC — is also seeking new sponsorships for the 7,200-seat county-owned outdoor facility on Metropolitan Parkway that could result in altering the name Freedom Hill and is also in negotiations with Macomb County to run the adjacent park on the 100-acre site.

“I am positive we have the right team together to bring this to Macomb County for many years,” said restaurateur Joe Vicari, who heads the team, during an announcement before the media and community leaders.

Freedom Hill, which has hosted national acts ranging from Bob Dylan to Aretha Franklin, closed in 2009 due to budget issues and legal wrangling, forcing the cancellation of a variety of events.

Vicari assembled a group that was able to work out an agreement with Macomb County after settling lawsuits between the county and Hillside Productions, the private firm that formerly operated the venue. The venue will undergo at least $2 million in upgrades prior to the opening including technology and cosmetic improvements.

Vicari said the impetus for the revival started when Mark Hackel was elected county executive in 2010 and expressed a desire to move forward on Freedom Hill, which paved the path for its return.

The new players include Tom Celani, a longtime gaming investor who heads Luna Entertainment; Funfest Productions, promoters of various outdoor festivals including Stars & Stripes; and concert promoters AEG Live.

Celani, an East Detroit native, owns a Harley-Davidson dealership, two Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships, and was an investor in Motor City Casino. He is a longtime friend of Vicari, president of Warren-based Andiamo Restaurant Group. He replaces Gary Roncelli of Roncelli Inc., Vicari’s former partner in Hillside Productions. Luna acquired the assets of Hillside Productions and has paid off the firm’s past debts to Macomb County and Fifth Third Bank.

Celani said he and Vicari share a business philosophy focusing on customer service that will be applied to Freedom Hill operations.

“From the time you get to the park until the time you leave, you will know you’ve had a great experience and are going to come back,” Celani said.

They are working with The Fulkerson Group to sell sponsorships and potential naming rights to the facility. They hope to land five-year sponsorships that could bring in between $1.5 million and $2 million. Fulkerson has worked on major events including the Thanksgiving Parade, the Grand Prix and the North American International Auto Show.

Funfest Productions will run the day-to-day operations under the new team and will produce Stars & Stripes on the venue grounds. The festival had been held for the past six years in downtown Mount Clemens but will now be housed at Freedom Hill in late June, said Funfest spokesman Kevin Cassidy.

“We enjoyed our time in Mount Clemens and wish them well, but this was a phenomenal opportunity for our company,” Cassidy, a former Freedom Hill general manager said. “We have some plans to bring in new events with a family perspective and stuff you haven’t seen here before, so we’re very excited.”

Luna Hillside will work with AEG Live, one of the leading booking agents in the world, to line up entertainment. AEG Senior Vice President Joe Litvag said they will use a new ticketing website called axs.com that will rival Live Nation’s Ticketmaster.

Vicari said the addition of AEG Live and his new team will help Freedom Hill compete against DTE Energy and other outdoor entertainment venues. He said a variety of classic rock, country and urban acts are likely to be on the lineup when it is announced this spring.

“If we didn’t get AEG Live, the park probably would still be dormant. It’s that important, as I found out, to buy acts and buy them at the right price and not overpay for acts and to be able to get to the quality acts that AEG can bring us.”

In addition to concerts, Freedom Hill will host high school graduation ceremonies, corporate functions, and possibly even an outdoor Mass in cooperation with neighboring Bethesda Christian Church.

Meanwhile, Luna Hillside is in negotiations with Macomb County to open and operate the county park to resurrect its ethnic festivals, car shows and other events. The county was forced to close the park due to budget issues, but Vicari’s group is interested in managing the facility and return it to its former glory.

Hackel, who said he is excited about the opening of the concert venue, said he will do whatever he can to facilitate the move.

“There’s no question business knows how to run businesses and that’s who should be running Freedom Hill, not a bunch of politicians,” Hackel said, adding he’s hopeful negotiations will lead to a positive result in the next few months.

Sterling Heights Mayor Richard Notte said he’s hopeful the new operators will not run into opposition from area homeowners who had bitterly complained about concert noise in the past.

“There has been a lot of anxiety in the neighborhoods about Freedom Hill re-opening,” Notte said at the event. “It’s been a bumpy ride, to say the least. But there are all new players here so we’re looking forward to having something for the betterment of the community in Sterling Heights.”

Tickets for Lady Antebellum’s June 13 show go on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 14 at www.FreedomHill.net. Prices are $119, $79, $59, and $29 (lawn).